Small Grant Awards

Small Grant Awards

The Foundation's Small Grant Award Program supports clinically-relevant, investigator-initiated research in orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). Small grant awards are designated for investigators with prior research training or experience. One-year small grants of up to $25,000 are given on an annual basis. Grants funds are intended to be used for expenses related directly to the conduct of the proposed research project. The Foundation reserves the right to reduce the terms of the award, both in time and in funds, as deemed appropriate by the scope of the proposed research. 

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for award consideration, applicants must have a doctoral degree or have prior research experience. Additionally, the host institution and the primary research site must be located within the United States. Small grants will be reviewed and scored by scientific and/or clinical experts selected by the Foundation's Research Committee. All Small Grant Award applications are scored based on criteria in three main areas: (1) Relevance of the research topic; (2) Merit of the research design; and (3) Appropriateness of the personnel and environment. Details of the review criteria can be found in the Technical Review Form. 

How to Apply 

1. Prepare a letter of intent (LOI)

   • The LOI should briefly describe the proposed research; list all key investigators; and name the institutions/organizations/companies involved in the study.

   • The LOI is used to verify eligibility and to assemble a review committee with appropriate topic area expertise; feedback is not generally provided.

   • Applicants do not need to await an invitation to submit an application; however, applications will not be reviewed if an LOI is not submitted.

2. Email the LOI to the Foundation at submissions@oandpfoundation.org. 

3. Complete the Application Cover Page

4. Draft the proposal

   • Applicants are responsible for ensuring the proposal adheres to all Small Grant Award Program guidelines; proposals that do not adhere to the stated guidelines will not be reviewed.

5. Email the cover page and proposal to the Foundation at submissions@oandpfoundation.org. 

   • The subject of your email should read "Small Grant Award".

6. Confirm that application materials have been received

   • The Foundation will email applicants when LOIs and proposals are received (typically within 48 business hours).

   • Applicants are encouraged to save copies of outgoing emails to verify materials were submitted by the posted deadlines.

   • Contact the Foundation at submissions@oandpfoundation.org if you do not receive a confirmation email within 1 week of the deadline.

Award Cycle Information

The following are key dates and deadlines for the Foundation's Small Grant Award Program. Small Grant Award application materials must be received by 5:00pm Eastern Time on the posted deadline.Applicants are responsible for ensuring all materials are received by the Foundation by the dates listed below. 

• Letter of intent due December 15

• Proposal due January 15

• Award notification* on or about April 1

• Funding disbursed* on or about June 1

* Note: award notification and funding disbursement dates may be affected by the number of applications.  

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions about Small Grant Awards, please contact Manisha Bhaskar at (202) 380-3663 or info@oandpfoundation.org.